Kodak's name will be remembered, not because of any major technical development, but because it was the first company to produce equipment that could be used by anyone.1888, Eastman "... photography available to everyone"(Kodak, 3).

Before Kodak, photographer had to be a chemist as well as artist. They were a pictures makers and after Kodak came on scene, photographers could easier to concentrate on the image, and leave preparation and development processes to others.

1884 it was introduced by Kodak, first portable camera, and the birth of snapshot photography.
1898 - With its vision of available photography to everyone at the lowest possible price, Kodak developed the Folding Pocket Kodak Camera. This is the father of modern roll-film cameras.
1963 - Kodak introduced the Instamatic camera. It became available for amateur photography, it was easy to use and affordable.

Kodak had bad times in film history too, as a digital came to industry. It wasn’t always a heaven, but for a giant company , it wasn’t the end of existence , just a second start in technology field.

Who knows, what would be without Kodak, would be photographers still a chemists same as artist, would they be carrying heavy cameras to take an image…Thanks for Kodak, there is no “would” .

The Eastman Kodak company has been servicing people all over the world. Today the company manufactures products in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, and of course the U.S.A. Still today the company upholds George Eastman's primary ideals:” mass production as low cost and a focus on the customer”.

Computer ?

Does Computer made our life worse or better, easier or harder,. I cant argue, that computer made our life more negative, or more positive , I guess it’s both . It doesn’t matter that we talk about, where are always minuses and pluses in all situation. I think this all depends on the user. One person could use it to create something good for his life, others can use it to 'waste' their time...
I had very interesting lecture about computers and after it, started to think how much do I need computer ? I do need it, sometimes I got frustrated , questioning myself, why I don’t live in middle ages, when where were no computers? But it’s a moment thing, then I realize that I need it .I started to laugh inside myself, then Terry said “ If you don’t like technologies-computers, be a gardener “ .Funny , at my age 16, I was working as a gardener , saving some money to buy my first computer :D:D:D.

We can talk and talk about it and we wont see the end of discussion. What is good or that is bad. I am between two fires. Life is much easier , but we shouldn’t forget, that it is just a thing, it shouldn’t be replaced with real life. We can not change the world, but we should let the computers change our life. Work with it as a tool .Life is beautiful without it, but it can be even better if we will use it in a good way, knowing the limit. But overall, in my life I think that computers helped me positively...:)

Lucien Herve's collaboration

Lucien Herve (b. 1910), one of the great architectural photographers of the twentieth century. One of his most important life stages - the beginning of close relationship with architect Le Corbusier , collaboration that started 1949 until the renowned architect died in 1965.

Herve documented the work of many other modernist architects, but Le Corbusier’s memorialized buildings, was a part of his life. Le Corbusier was building and Herve was showing it , the way, they both wanted to be seen. They had their own way.

Herve shows through his work, that he himself is also a modernist at heart. ”The constant quest for modernity characterizes Herve. He is a man who lives for modernity or, in his own words, for what is yet to be born.”

Relationship between an architect Le Corbusier and photographer is a dedicate one. He presented the buildings to the world at large. Herve does not much attempt to make things beautiful, as to bring attention to that , which is beautiful.

He shows buildings unique way of depicting the quality of space through lights, shadows and materials. . L. Herve - Master of shadows, and sun light, played with them , as a painter with colours on canvas.. The night in his work for him was like a taboo, because nightlife holds no attraction. He wanted to record every tone of sun on his lens. He transformed shadows into geometrical shapes

His collaboration with architect Le Corbusier made Herve a renowned photographer. He is a photographer that makes buildings come alive. Lucien Herve made himself the architects chronicler.

Digital Photogrpahy

Twenty first century is a digital era. Digital photography takes a place of film photography. Is film photography going to die, will it be only the history. In the future ,people will be reading about it in history books. Maybe some enthusiastic photographers will stick with film as long as it possible.

I am sure, not all of the professional photographers are happy with that, as the film can do a better quality pictures. But does the progress of technology should stop. In a past 10 years all technology change so much, why it shouldn’t affect photography.

We have monitors , great quality printers, memory cards, rechargeable batteries and etc. and all it comes hand in hand with digital photography.

For digital photography is easier to locate processing facilities , is faster . Digital has the huge advantage of giving the instant result. Where are some software as Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat Lightroom and etc, that helps to create exclusive images.

Cost is a major criteria for the customer purchasing any product and one of the reasons why digital photography is getting popular and popular . Availability for everyone! And it is not for us to say, which digital or film we should use. Digital is rapidly replacing with photography in customer and professional markets too. They tells the rules for professional photographers . Customer pays , photographer does a job.

We should get use to that , do we like it or not. To stop technology evolution is like to stop improve.

Bernd & Hilla Becher - Photographer's

Hilla and Bernd Bechers -Collaboration of the most important husband and wife team in the photography history. Becher’s lifetime project of documenting the industrial landscape of twentieth century .They work has influenced German photographers of a young generation , including Thomas Struth, Thomas Demand, Candida Hofen and etc.

They work has a huge meaning in post war photography of 20^th century. In the history of photography they were documenting industrial building architecture and together they showed them as a minimal and conceptual art. They are rooted in the history of architecture and engineering , Hilla’s and Bernd’s life work helped of resource for industrial archaeologists seeking.

“Our photographs of industrial plants create the possibility of being in this industrial time “ (Hilla Becher).

With help of photography, all life they were recording objects : water towers, winding towers, gas and oil tanks, frame houses and etc. All photographs of Hilla and Bernd were brilliant black & white prints. They had their typical way of showing the images. The view was taken from level halfway up the objects, so we see the objects in front of us. H. an B. Becher’s also photographed mostly in spring or fall , before the leaves come or they have gone, that the trees would block the view as less as possible,” Undistorted in all its dimensions”(Bernd Becher)

We always say, photography tells us stories without any words , however, don’t think, that Becher’s wanted to tell a story, don’t see the story –teller . The Becher’s work was all about the act of seeing, the images are demonstrating , how detail the camera focuses on subjects. And this is exclusive of they life work, that influenced so many other great photographers.

Still Life - uhuuuu :)

Doing project “fifth senses “ for my class “photography genres “ lately I find myself into studio environment and still life photography. If you are not under pressure and have no time constraints, there is nothing better than having a play with studio lighting set up to experiment with new and fresh ideas! Still life photography is a chance to make, rather take a picture. In a funny way, the best thing about still life photography is , that model never gets tired, don’t get bored. :-)And specially it is a perfect rainy day activity . The object, you are taking photos can be anything, open refrigerator and here you go – modelling subjects ;-)

Couple photos of mine:

To make image to scream for attention , it is very important to find interest in color, shapes, textures .Also is important to create various compositions by arranging objects in interesting ways . To play around with composition , making different tricks, working with pose of the object, adding something there or there , that makes the image look great, unique , tasty .I found great Still life photographers as : (Alun Crockford, David Bishop, Jonathan Knowles, and really enjoy going threw their images. In Still life photography I prefer minimalism , tasty and smooth image. I enjoy image noise in different styles of photography, gives a little bit of mystery look , but in still life i am stick with a clear , glossy image.

David Bishop Alun Crockford "Blue Tuba"

Another thing why I like still life photography , that you can work with the light yourself, make the images with the soft light , beauty light, more shadows, to light background lighter or darker, it depends on the equipment you have , like yesterday, I was freezing myself outside the Lloyd's of London Headquarters building, waiting to sun go down, I wanted to take photo of building in the dark, anyway, I end up with the images I don’t like , so I had to come back today, then the sun was up. It’s not always a great idea to shoot outside , a lot depends on a weather . For right now, I'll try to improve and tune my vision in studio practice too.

Jonathan Knowles " Falling Tea"

The Photographer's Gallery and Semiotics

Semiotics: The elements of sing. It defines the symbols portrayed in everything we see. Photography is used as a composition of symbols.
Can images talk? Does it shows us the meaning of sings ? I think , we already know the answer by choosing to study photography. Yes, it does, it tells us the stories , by sings and codes, cultural and text interaction. So why did we choose a photography ?I guess to be a viewer and the story maker our self.
Photography doesn't lie, it is not un illusion , and as big as insane your fantasy can grow, semiotics will be the same, maybe sometimes we don't see right away, but the sings are there.
As Julie suggested , I went to see the exhibition in Photographer's Gallery. I have never been there before, so big Thanks, another gallery to my photo galleries list "Must see" :).
I would be laying , if i say, that I am very stunned with Esko Mannikko exhibited images, even knowing, that he was awarded for 2008 Deutsche Börse Photography Prize. I past them too quickly, anyway, i did search about him online , later.

My attention reaches the photographs of Fazal Sheikh. The black and white prints fit in very properly with the white walls. Going threw the images, at the first minute, the first sing comes up: sick people, pathetic glare – Third world country. Documentary photography , photojournalism are not one of my inspiration photo styles, but it’s great to see , all these things are happening right now and we can’t close the eyes avoiding that. But it really touches your hard deeply , seeing all the sickness, strait, hunger and death. It makes the feeling- quilt.

I was very pleased to see the second floor exhibited images be Edith Maybin “ The Tenby Document” and specially Vee Speers “The Birthday Party”. I sustain an artist idea to photograph children being us un adults and showing them with adult equipments instead of their common toys . It gives a mysteries taste.

V. Speers collection of children portraits prints were stunning . They looks as they have been retouched with pencil and the glossy surface of image gives unrealistic look. I was glad to enrich of famous photographers and I am satisfied with this exhibition and looking forward to visit more galleries.

Roland's Barthes Theory

After going threw a book and searching for more information on internet about Roland’s Barthes theory , came to the conclusion. Barthes distinguishes between what he calls the “ Studium” and the “Punctum” of a photograph.

The studium of photograph relates to the obvious symbolic meaning, it is something that all audience of the image could agree upon since it presents the meaning which a culturally added.

And the punktum used by R.Barthes describes the part of photograph that grabs your attention, touches by certain incidental details and takes to the meaning of photograph as culturally determined.

Like a week ago , I was talking with my friend about galleries and exhibitions and she mentioned one unusual exhibition she has been couple weeks ago ,called “State In Time” at a “Aarhus Kunstbygning” (center of contemporary art ) in Aarhus, Denmark. It was a Slovenian Irwin art group that exhibited their work. One part of exhibit was an installation of a chapel with an imaginary dead body in it.I think the studium was to show a laying in state from a past at nowadays.To make it look real and to remained about on of the important artist at the beginning of twentieth century.

I was interested in this exhibition, so started to search for more information about it. The Irwin’s group represented a laying in state sample of Russian artist Kazimir Malevich laying in state original photograph.

Malevich lying in state in his room

I hate to look at the laying in state photograph’s and staring at this one, remained me my grandfather’s funeral . And even knowing that it’s a fake dead body , force my to think about a real person. Thought, why dead bodies changes so much and all look almost the same ? Trying to imagine, how the artist looked a like before death.

I think the main punktum of this image is the K.Malevich’s painting "Black Square on a Black Square" 1915 , which is hanging above body.

"Black Square on a Black Square" 1915
(being "mapped" by cracking paint surface--)

As we know the black color symbol at the funeral is death. I think , first of all , that’s why it hanged on the wall as a main subject from artist life, and a second , it represents K.Malevith’s creative spirit. As in my country (Lithuania), usually it is a persons portrait above the head. But in this photograph, the black squire and the place where it is at , tells us about the past and present situation.Another symbol of death are flowers by the casket. As we give flowers for the new birth, saying hello, same for the death – farewell.

And the image of K.Malevich laying in state installation at the “Aarhus Kunstbygning” (center of contemporary art ) in Aarhus, Denmark.

Diane Arbus - Photographer

From perusing Diane's Arbus photographs , I can't say , I adore her work, and could hand some of the photos on my wall at home. I wouldn't do that, but her work leaves strange feeling inside. It makes you stop and stare at them for a moment and think, think of how brave she must be at that time she lived.She knew how to show a sitter from inside and outside of his body, character, state of mind.

The people wasn't so open minded, or at least they didn't show that in public. I thing Diane tried to show , that world is not perfect, and we don't live in a fairy tale. And I think she presented that in very professional way.

Most of her disturbing portraits of people were : transvestites , mentally retarded , giants or lilliputians individuals , colonies of nudes . Some of the images can freak you out. Like photograph named " Child with toy hand grenade in Central park " , New York, 1962. Sunny and beautiful day. At the beginning its just image with young child , playing in the park . Later the eyes catches his petty body, thin bones. His arms . In right hand he is holding toy grenade. After research about this image, i know that grenade is just a toy, but first impression is different , takes your time to think about it : "Is it a real one " ?
His left arm is held like a predator claw. I question myself, is just a creepy gesture or it is congenital defect. Intimidating face expression , derange staring at D. Arbus while she is trying to take a photo of him.

Online Photo gallery of Diane Arbus photographs :

http://www.artphotogallery.org/02/artphotogallery/photographers/diane_arbus_01.html

Where is a biopic movie about the life of photographer Diane Arbus . Its not exactly "true story" film of Diane , but it shows us , how she looked at the peoples , threw a different angle. I saw that movie twice and personally recommend to watch it , off course , if your best movie is "Transformers " , so I would say don't even bother to watch it =-D

" Fur : An imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus" movie trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24jdUN0E6do

Helmut Newton - Photographer

One of my favorites photographer . He divides his work into three categories: nudes, portraits and fashion. But the nudes also can be a portrait, or fashion photo can be a nude and vice versa . Amazing and stunning images , stylized scenes with fetishistic taste. The photos are tasteful , not too much nudity , that would look like pornography. The main thing is body in the image, but the atmosphere and the idea how to present it , makes photography to talk.

"any advice for the young?

there are two dirty words in photography; one is 'art', and the other is 'good taste'.beauty is intellect.and glamour has nothing to do with money. "

Helmut Newton

All the interview with H.Newton you can read at: http://www.designboom.com/history/newton_interview.html

Beautiful slide show of H. Newton's photographes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL4dHOY_XDM&NR=1

First try on the blog

Today's photo

After staring threw my window for 5 minutes at a beautiful sky , I took my tripod and went outside to take couple of photos. The water looks like painted and separated into two different parts , one is dark and rough and another part of water is shiny , flat like ice with a colorful canary wharf buildings reflection .
The plane's light reflection on the water shows us a movement , even then looking at the lights in the sky,it just looks like only tree dots .